Career and Education Opportunities for Delivery Drivers in Tempe, Arizona

For those living in the Tempe, Arizona area, there are many career and education opportunities for delivery drivers. Currently, 20,370 people work as delivery drivers in Arizona. This is expected to grow 15% to about 23,340 people by 2016. This is better than the national trend for delivery drivers, which sees this job pool growing by about 4.2% over the next eight years. Delivery drivers generally drive a truck or van with a capacity of under 26,000 GVW, primarily to deliver or pick up merchandise or to deliver packages within a specified area.

A person working as a delivery driver can expect to earn about $13 per hour or $28,430 yearly on average in Arizona and about $13 per hour or $27,610 yearly on average in the U.S. as a whole. Incomes for delivery drivers are better than in the overall category of Small Vehicle in Arizona, and not quite as good as the overall Small Vehicle category nationally.

There are seventy-six schools of higher education in the Tempe area, including two within twenty-five miles of Tempe where you can get a degree to start your career as a delivery driver. Delivery drivers usually hold a high school diploma or GED, so you can expect to spend only a short time studying to be a delivery driver if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Delivery Driver

Delivery Driver video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, delivery drivers drive a truck or van with a capacity of under 26,000 GVW, primarily to deliver or pick up merchandise or to deliver packages within a specified area. They also may require use of automatic routing or location software.

Delivery drivers load and unload vehicles, vans, or automobiles. They also obey traffic laws, and follow established traffic and transportation procedures. Equally important, delivery drivers have to report any mechanical problems encountered with vehicles. They are often called upon to read maps, and follow written and verbal geographic directions. They are expected to examine and maintain vehicle supplies and equipment, such as gas and brakes, to insure that vehicles are in proper working condition. Finally, delivery drivers examine and maintain vehicle supplies and equipment, such as gas and brakes, to insure that vehicles are in proper working condition.

Every day, delivery drivers are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. They need to lift, push and move large and heavy objects. It is also important that they coordinate both hands in a single activity.

It is important for delivery drivers to verify the contents of inventory loads against shipping papers. They are often called upon to present bills and receipts and collect payments for goods delivered or loaded. They also report delays or other traffic and transportation situations to bases or other vehicles, using telephones or mobile two-way radios. They are sometimes expected to drive vehicles with capacities under three tons to move materials to and from specified destinations, such as railroad stations, plants, residences and offices, or within industrial yards. Somewhat less frequently, delivery drivers are also expected to drive vehicles equipped with public address systems through city streets to broadcast announcements for advertising or publicity purposes.

Delivery drivers sometimes are asked to perform emergency repairs, such as changing tires or installing light bulbs and spark plugs. They also have to be able to sell and keep records of sales for products from truck inventory And finally, they sometimes have to obey traffic laws, and follow established traffic and transportation procedures.

Like many other jobs, delivery drivers must have exceptional integrity and be reliable.

Truck Driver. Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,000 GVW, to transport and deliver goods, livestock, or materials in liquid, loose, or packaged form. May be required to unload truck. May require use of automated routing equipment. Requires commercial drivers' license.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Delivery Driver Training

American Institute of Technology - Phoenix, AZ

American Institute of Technology, 440 S 54th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85043-4729. American Institute of Technology is a small school located in Phoenix, Arizona. It is a private for-profit school with primarily less-than 2-year programs. It has 295 students and an admission rate of 58%. American Institute of Technology has a less than one year program in Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operation which graduated 842 students in 2008.

Glendale Community College - Glendale, AZ

Glendale Community College, 6000 W Olive Ave, Glendale, AZ 85302. Glendale Community College is a large college located in Glendale, Arizona. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 18,228 students. Glendale Community College has a less than one year program in Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operation which graduated twelve students in 2008.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Tempe, Arizona

Tempe, Arizona photo by File Upload Bot

Tempe is situated in Maricopa County, Arizona. It has a population of over 175,523, which has grown by 10.7% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Tempe, 95, is below the national average. New single-family homes in Tempe cost $163,900 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, sixty-three new homes were constructed in Tempe, down from one hundred seven the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Tempe are educational services, accommodation and food services, and health care. For men, it is accommodation and food services, educational services, and construction. The average commute to work is about 20 minutes. More than 39.6% of Tempe residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 14.6%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Tempe is 7.5%, which is less than Arizona's average of 9.3%.

The percentage of Tempe residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 39.7%, is less than the national average but more than the state average. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the LDS (Mormon) Church and the Southern Baptist Convention.

Tempe is home to the Casa Fiesta Travel Trailer Resort and the Fair Lanes Village Center as well as Birchett Park and Hudson Park. Shopping malls in the area include Arizona Mall of Tempe, Arizona Mills Mall and Baseline Village Shopping Center. Visitors to Tempe can choose from Motel 6, Executive Suites Extended Stay and Best Western Nova Plus Test Property for temporary stays in the area.